Control of the polarization flop direction by a tilted magnetic field in multiferroicTbMnO3

Abstract

In spin-driven ferroelectrics, often referred to as magnetoelectric (ME) multiferroics, a domain wall separates two magnetic as well as ferroelectric domains. Therefore, it is expected that the control of such an ME domain wall could result in a large ME effect. Here, we show that the direction of a slanted magnetic field controls whether the electric polarization $(\mathbit{P})$ rotates by $+90$ or $\ensuremath{-}90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ upon the $\mathbit{P}$-flop transition in a prototypical spiral magnetic ferroelectric ${\text{TbMnO}}_{3}$. This behavior is discussed in terms of the domain-wall energy of a spiral magnet in a slanted magnetic field.